Defence Academy VLE - FAQ
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General
Login
What does "Moodle" mean?
Moodle is an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. It is our DCMT Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Do I have to be on campus to login to Moodle?
No. Moodle is web-based which means that you can login from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection and the appropriate login and password.
How do I log in to my Moodle course?
Moodle can be accessed at: http://vle.defac.ac.uk/
Use your Moodle username and password to log in.
If you are a new user and your login failed, please contact the IT Services Helpdesk.
I have problems logging in from home
You might have problems logging in if your computer has a firewall, for example, ZoneAlarm or Norton Security.
For those using ZoneAlarm, here is the fix:
- Open ZoneAlarm Privacy properties
- On the Site List tab click Add button and add the VLE site (vle.defac.ac.uk) to the list
- Once listed, right click the site and select Options from the context menu
- In the Site Options property window uncheck everything on the ‘Ad Blocking’ tab and then click Apply.
For those using Norton firewall, the fix is available at the Symantec Support website.
I couldn't find the course after login, why?
Please check with your course contact or lecturer to confirm that you are enrolled on that course.
If they use Moodle for teaching, the course will appear in your "My Courses" list.
I changed my password. Now all my courses have disappeared from 'My Courses'
Log out and log back in.
Emails
Everyone is getting emails from Moodle except me
- First, make sure the emails are going to the same address you are checking.
- You should see your name in the upper right corner of the browser window. Click it to show your profile settings.
- Click the "Edit profile" tab and scroll down to the "Email address" field. Check that your email address is correct.
- If the emails are going to the correct address but you are still not receiving them, your email service provider may be using a junk mail filter that is filtering Moodle emails out of your inbox. You should add these emails to your ‘safe’ contacts. Contact your email service provider for help with this.
I keep getting all these random emails...
There are various things in Moodle that generate automatic emails to the email account in your profile. These include:
- A new post in a forum in your course
- A notification email when a tutor leaves you some feedback
- For tutors, these automatic emails largely consist of notifications when students have submitted assignments or posted on forums.
If you do not wish to get every post that is made to a forum that you are subscribed to, follow these steps:
- You should see your name in the upper right corner of the browser window. Click it to show your profile settings.
- Click the "Edit profile" tab
- Scroll down to the "Email digest type" field. Choose one of the following options:
“Complete” – this creates a single email digest of all the posts made to a forum you are subscribed to. You will get one email per day containing all of the posts made to the forum.
or
“Subjects” – this creates a single email digest that contains just the subject lines from the posts to any forums you are subscribed to. You can go to any topic that you are interested in.
- Click "Update my Profile" at the bottom of the page.
I would like my Moodle emails to be sent to another address. What do I do?
- You should see your name in the upper right corner of the browser window. Click it to show your profile settings.
- Click the "Edit profile" tab and scroll down to the "Email address" field. Enter the new email address.
- Click "Update my Profile" at the bottom of the page.
General
Where can I find Moodle documentation?
There is context sensitive help built into Moodle. In many places (especially next to where choices can be made) you will see the help button - a small question mark in a yellow circle. This will provide immediate help on that issue.
A short interactive online training course is available from the DCMT VLE homepage (http://vle.defac.ac.uk). You can also download the PDF student guide from the same area.
If you are a member of staff, the ‘Moodle: Teacher's Guide’ is available from the Staff Resources block.
Who do I contact for more help with the Moodle DCMT VLE?
If you are having technical problems accessing Moodle, please contact the IT Services helpdesk: +44 0 1793 788444 or flhelp@cranfield.ac.uk . The helpdesk is manned 0800 GMT to 1800 GMT Mon-Friday.
When I click on the link to a Word document, it opens directly in the browser. How can I open it in MS Word so that I can edit, save, and/or print it?
- Right click on the link.
- Choose "Save Target As".
- Give the file a name and save it on the desktop.
- Go to the desktop of your computer and double-click on the file to open it in Word.
How do I add my picture or change my icon?
You should see your name in the upper right corner of the browser window. Click it to show your profile settings.
- Click the "Edit profile" tab and scroll down to the optional items section.
- Click "Browse…" to locate an image you want to use as your icon. Make sure that the file is not larger than the maximum size listed, or it will not be uploaded.
- Click "Update my Profile" at the bottom of the page— the image file will be cropped to a square and resized down to 100x100 pixels.
Remember that this icon will be attached to all of your postings and anywhere your profile appears.